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Phil Mickelson says he's cooperating with FBI

DUBLIN, Ohio – Following an even-par 72 Saturday in the third round of The Memorial Tournament presented by Nationwide Insurance, Phil Mickelson reiterated he has done nothing wrong and has cooperated in an

And with that, Phil Mickelson handed his golf ball to a young girl straddling the rope line just past the second hole Saturday during the third round of The Memorial Tournament presented by Nationwide Insurance.

Mickelson, who was fist-bumping with young and old throughout his round at Muirfield Village Golf Club, handed over eight more balls to kids by the time he putted out on the 18th hole.

Before the round he had a playful exchange with colleague Robert Garrigus. During the round, he had a smile for everyone despite hitting into the water on 9 and finishing bogey-bogey. After the round, he signed autographs for 15 minutes.

In other words, it was Phil being Phil as he played on despite being under investigation by the FBI and the Securities and Exchange Commission for alleged insider trading.

As distractions go, this is a pretty big one.

Mickelson, who hasn't won since last year's British Open and is off to the worst PGA Tour start of his career, said the probe had not been a distraction until Thursday night, when two FBI agents approached him near the clubhouse locker room after his opening round. He shot 70 the next day for his best round this week and followed with a 72 Saturday.

Mickelson, who trails leader Bubba Watson by 10 shots and needs to go really low Sunday if he is to notch his first top-10 of the season, said he told the agents to speak to his attorney.

"I think that as a player you have to be able to block out whatever is going on off the golf course and be able to focus on the golf course," said Mickelson, one of the highest-earning athletes in the world, who said he is cooperating with the investigation. "And it's not going to change the way I carry myself. Honestly, I've done nothing wrong. I'm not going to walk around any other way."

That's how he's carried himself during his World Golf Hall of Fame career. Whether it be hardship or heartache outside the ropes, he's been stellar inside the ropes, as his ability to compartmentalize is one reason he's won 42 Tour titles (ninth all time) and five major championships.

In the 1999 U.S. Open, when he lost by one shot to Payne Stewart, he carried a beeper and was set to leave the tournament if his wife, Amy, went into labor with the couple's first child.

When he won his first major at the 2004 Masters, ending a 0-for-42 span in majors that rritated him for nearly 10 years, the triumph came months after Amy nearly died while giving birth to the couple's third child, Evan.

In 2009, with Amy battling breast cancer, he made an inspired run before finishing second in the U.S. Open. A month later, Mickelson's mother, Mary, was diagnosed with breast cancer. The following year, Mickelson gave the two women a heart-warming memory by winning his third Masters, embracing Amy for a tearful hug just off the 18th green on Sunday.

There will be plenty of noise outside the ropes for Mickelson as he heads toward Pinehurst No. 2 in North Carolina for the U.S. Open in two weeks. He'll be the center of attention because of the investigation, but also because of his thrilling duel with Stewart there in 1999 and his record six runner-up finishes in the national tournament.

Mickelson hasn't been shy in letting people know how much he wants to win the U.S. Open, for if he were to win, he would complete the career grand slam, achieved by only Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus, Ben Hogan, Gene Sarazen and Gary Player.

That's what's on Mickelson's mind. As is his chipping, putting and driving. And the investigation will not be a distraction, he said.

"The big thing for me is that this week the fairways are playing tighter than they have because they're firm and the ball's running, and I've hit a lot of fairways," he said. "I'm actually counting out there because it's going to be a big factor for the Open."

For Mickelson, the golf course is his safe harbor, even if at times it hasn't been for the spectators following him. On Saturday when he airmailed the green at the sixth hole, he asked the fans if they were OK and apologized for placing them in danger with his overshot missile. That was Phil being Phil, enjoying another day at the office.

PHOTOS: Mickelson through the years

Phil Mickelson celebrates after winning the Masters golf tournament with at the Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Ga. Dave Martin, AP

Phil Mickelson tips his hat to the crowd after sinking a putt for birdie on the second hole during first round play in The Tour Championship golf tournament at the East Lake Golf Golf in Atlanta, Thursday, Sept 25, 2008. John bazemore, ASSOCIATED PRESS

Phil Mickelson blasts from the bunker on the 18th hole of the North Course at Torrey Pines during the second round of the Buick Invitational golf tournament Friday Feb. 6, 2009 in San Diego. Chris Park, AP

Phil Mickelson acknowledges fans as he comes off the 17th green during a the pro-am at the St. Jude Classic golf tournament, Wednesday, June 10, 2009, in Germantown, Tenn. Mickelson returned to the PGA Tour that day, trying to keep some normalcy in a life that has been turned upside-down by the discovery that his wife Amy has breast cancer. Nikki Boertman, AP

Phil Mickelson, center, jokes with Padraig Harrington, lef, of Ireland, left, and a caddie before teeing off for the day on the 10th hole during the first round of the St. Jude Classic golf tournament in Memphis, Tenn., Thursday, June 11, 2009. Lance Murphey, AP

\Phil Mickelson speaks during a news conference on the Pro-Am day of the Northern Trust Open golf tournament at Riviera Country Club in the Pacific Palisades area of Los Angeles on Wednesday, Feb. 3, 2010. Reed Saxon, AP

Phil Mickelson hits from a bunker on the 10th green in the third round of the Northern Trust Open golf tournament at Riviera Country Club in the Pacific Palisades area of Los Angeles Saturday, Feb. 6, 2010. Reed Saxon, AP

In this April 11, 2010 file photo, former Master's champion Angel Cabrera, left, of Argentina, helps Phil Mickelson put on his Masters jacket after his won at the 2010 Masters golf tournament in Augusta, Ga. David J. Phillip, AP

Phil Mickelson lays in the grass while waiting to tee off from the 4th hole in the second round of the WGC-Cadillac Championship golf tournament at TPC Blue Monster at Trump National Doral. Andrew Weber, USA TODAY Sports

Phil Mickelson, left, exchanges clubs with his caddie Jim Mackay before his shot from the 13th fairway during the final round of the Memorial golf tournament on Sunday, June 1, 2014, in Dublin, Ohio. Darron Cummings, AP